Fred LeRoy, a former chairman of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, died on Wednesday. He was 63.

LeRoy served in Vietnam with the U.S. Marine Corps. After returning home, he enlisted in a new war -- restoring the tribe to federal recognition after being terminated in 1962.

"He was so proud to be a Ponca," Judi Morgan gaiashkibos, the director of the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs, told The Lincoln Journal Star. "He came home after Vietnam and continued to be a warrior for the Ponca people."

LeRoy served as chairman of the tribe for two terms following its restoration in 1990. He continued to work on repatriation, education, health and youth issues.

Get the Story:
Ponca Tribe loses warrior, guardian (The Lincoln Journal Star 1/12)
LeRoy a 'warrior for his people' (The Omaha World Herald 1/12)